Bali Tourism News

Historical site will not become tourist attraction: Archeology Office

February 5th, 2009

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Gianyar

The Denpasar Archeology Office is opposed to converting Keramas village, Gianyar regency, into a tourist attraction following the discovery of scores of sarcophagi that experts say could shed light on Bali’s ancient fore bearers.

“We should not make this area a tourist site. People can just visit the Heritage Preservation Office (BP3) to see the sarcophagi,” Wayan Suantika, head of the archeology office, which oversees Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara, said Tuesday.

A local brick layer on Sunday stumbled across a 12th sarcophagi uncovered in the village, bringing the total number found in the surrounding area to 33. The brick layer found the ancient artifact two meters below the ground approximately 7 meters away from where another had earlier been found. An ensuing excavation effort was to continue Wednesday.

Ayu Kusumawati, a researcher at the archeology office, said the sarcophagus dated from the Megalithic era, which predates the Bronze Age. She estimated the artifact was around 2,500 years old. It is believed the coffins belong to the ancestors of the Balinese.

The office said 126 sarcophagi had been found on the island.

Suantika said archeological sites had become historic points of fascination and tourist attractions.

He said there should be a thorough study to determine the financial benefits of the regional or provincial administration buying the land and converting it into a tourism site.

Previously, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism proposed that areas along Tukad Pakerisan, Campuhan River and Ayung River in Gianyar regency should be preserved as national heritage sites as they were the first known settlements of the ancient Balinese.

Other brick layers in the area said they had come across fragments of bone and ceramic.

“I found this skull and small bones here yesterday,” Gusti Putu Kramas, a 58-year-old digger, said Tuesday, pointing at an area 10 meters away from where the 12th sarcophagus was discovered.

Ayu said the skull might date from the same era as the sarcophagi. She said ordinary people 2,500 years ago had been buried as they were, but village chiefs or important people had been placed in sarcophagi.

“But sometimes a village chief was buried first because the sarcophagus was not finished yet. The body was later placed into the sarcophagus,” she said.

When asked whether the office would claim the area to conduct a thorough search for more possible artifacts, Suantika said his office did not have enough funds, and that it would continue to rely on incidental discoveries.

He said he hoped brick layers working in the area would report all findings.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Entry Filed under: Bali Tourism News